Tagtool SE vs Chromatose
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tagtool SE
Transform your iPad into a live visual instrument for painting with light and creating spontaneous animations. Ideal for performances, storytelling, and collaborative art, this app enables educators to distribute Pro licenses for institutional use.
- Live visual instrument
- Paint with light
- Create spontaneous animations
- Multiplayer jams
- Guerilla interventions
- Educational license distribution
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Tagtool transforms your iPad into a visual live instrument. Connect a projector to paint with light, draw expressive animations, or tell improvised stories. Jam with friends on a shared canvas, perform live shows, or create pop-up street art. From classrooms and workshops to galleries and live stages, Tagtool fills any space with colorful art, created together. Whether you're a VJ, artist, educator, or just curious — discover a new universe of digital art! Tagtool SE ("School Edition") is equivalent to the standard Tagtool App with the Pro upgrade. It enables educational institutions to distribute Tagtool Pro licenses using Apple School Manager.
Chromatose
Create and perform real-time, audio-reactive visuals with a powerful yet intuitive video synthesizer. Connect to external displays and customize your creations with a modular interface, extensive modulation options, and MIDI support. Ideal for live performers, VJs, and content creators.
- Audio-reactive visuals
- Modular interface
- MIDI support
- 4 simultaneous generators
- Unlimited effect chaining
- HD/4K+ output
- Patch saving and export
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Chromatose is a real-time, audio-reactive visual synth for iPhone and iPad — a modular video synthesizer and visualizer that turns your input and sound into a hypnotic, trippy light show. Create original, generative visuals by hand. No coding, no AI prompts, no bulky hardware. Connect a TV or projector via HDMI or AirPlay to turn any space into an immersive atmosphere — for live performance, meditation, party, or chilling. Learn it in under an hour. Create fresh ideas for years. 〉Perfect for: Live performers, VJs, DJs, music producers, installation artists, concert and stage designers, content creators, music video directors, generative artists, and creative explorers. Works for raves, clubs, afterhours, festivals, ambient galleries, meditation spaces, and live loop sessions. 〉What you can make: A music visualizer for live sets. Audio-reactive video content for social media. Live camera filters. TV screensavers and projector backdrops for installations. Wallpapers, generative art pieces, meditation visuals — or anything else you can imagine. 〉Aesthetic range: From psychedelic, trippy, and surreal to cyberpunk, vaporwave, synthwave, retrowave, futuristic, vintage, nostalgic, dreamcore, weirdcore, liminal, and glitch. Dial in the whole rainbow spectrum of hues, refractions, liquid ripples, electric strobing, cosmic aurora, spiral warps, organic cymatics, kaleidoscope mandalas, and pure abstract procedural geometry. 〉FREE Plan Includes: • Access all generators & effects • No signup required • 100% ad-free • Max output resolution: Full 1080p HD • Saved patches: 2 • Record videos up to: 30 secs 〉Pro Plan Includes: • Access to all features • Saved patches: unlimited • Saved Performance Sets: unlimited • Max output resolution: 4K+ • Record videos up to: 15 mins • Studio-quality ProRes recording • Export Patches 〉Main Features: • Modular, intuitive interface • 4 simultaneous visual generators • Chain unlimited visual effects, filters, and modulation layers • Design Mode to build unique visuals from scratch • Performance Mode: eight hot-swappable patches per Set, Master FX chain, fully modular transitions • Custom color palettes with harmony-based generation • Metal-powered, iOS native graphics engine • 8-bit or 16-bit color (SDR and HDR) with deep gradient fidelity • Built specifically for iPhone and iPad 〉Modulation & Synthesis: • Dedicated LFOs per parameter • Multiple waveshapes, free-running or clock-synced • Nested modulation and feedback loops • Envelope generators and signal followers • Animated visual indicators • Analog-style signal flow — reactive to every nuance 〉Connectivity: • Connect to any screen with HDMI (via USB-C or Lightning adapter) or AirPlay • MIDI Plug & Play with other Hardware and Software via: USB, Bluetooth, Network, Virtual MIDI (other apps on same device) • MIDI 1.0 and 2.0, with CC, note, and NRPN mapping • MIDI mappable Macro Controls and Performance pads • MIDI Clock Sync • Wireless display and dual-screen output 〉Audio Reactivity: • Visuals pulse and react to live audio in real time • Internal mic or any audio interface, with input selection and auto-gain • 3 shapeable audio signal sources • Audio-to-visual translation on any parameter, driven by the full mix or just the lows or highs • Signal followers and envelopes • Turn any sound into a visual trip 〉Sharing and Export: • Import and export patches as files for sharing and remixing • Record HD video (HEVC or ProRes) or screenshots optimized for social media • Save directly to iOS Photos library 〉Patch Library: • Intuitive browsing and organization • Tag, search, sort and filter by mood, genre, or aesthetic • Built-in presets included Chromatose is made entirely by one independent developer in Berlin, with no investors or corporate agenda: a modular video synthesizer and visual instrument in your pocket, aiming to democratize real-time generative visual creation. Terms of Use: https://www.chromatose.app/en/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chromatose at 79% against Tagtool SE's 0%. Chromatose also leads on price (Free vs $17.99) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). Tagtool SE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Chromatose is free to download; Tagtool SE costs $17.99 up front. Chromatose sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Tagtool SE asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tagtool SE ships an update every 7 months, Chromatose every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Tagtool SE | Chromatose |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $17.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.6 (17 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 17 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 141 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OMA International | Edward Rooth |
Customer experience
Tagtool SE
Chromatose
In-app purchases
Tagtool SE
No in-app purchases
Chromatose
- Pro$5.991 Month
- Pro$49.991 Year
- Standard [DISCONTINUED]7 Days trial$59.991 Year








